Running From Forever
by RoaringFall
Summary: PERMANENT HIATUS: Seriously, I keep trying to think of a rhyme or reason for this story, but there really ISN'T.
1. Prelude

"_Wake up."_

Will woke with a start. He didn't know whether the voice had been real or not. Will

slowly reached out with his Old One senses, but felt nothing.

Wait! No… There it was again!

Will leapt out of his bed, hands up, ready for an attack.

"Be at peace, Old One," the same strange voice called again. Will looked to the far side of his room near the doorway.

A tall, hulking figure stood there. Will switched on his lamp so he could see the stranger properly.

The light revealed that the owner of the soft voice was a man, supposedly in his mid twenties.

But what Will noticed the most was the man's face. The majority of his facial features were marred, like a painting leaned

against while it was still wet. He was tall, yet somehow delicate in frame, and he radiated

power which felt that it might rival even Merriman.

This man was not human.

"Oh, that's not very nice." the man's voice was two-toned. Will also realized that he had said the last sentence out loud.

"Well, you're not," he said in his defense. The tall man nodded.

"Yes… But neither are you, Will Stanton." Will grew suspicious at this, watching this man for any sign that he

may attempt to harm him. The man chuckled at this.

"Do not trouble your heart so," he chided. "I am only here to give a precious item to a well spoken-of protector." Will was

still suspicious of this man, but as for confirmation, he pointed to himself. The man nodded slowly, and Will relaxed slightly, then asked;

"What is this, "precious item" that you speak of?"

The man nodded once more, then reached into a bag that Will had not seen before. The

man pulled out a small, squareish-thing that was wrapped up in a tattered gray cloth.

The man stroked the item gently, reluctantly holding it out to Will. Will watched the man's body language when he hesitantly reached out for the item. The man pulled the thing back ever so slightly, saying,

"This book, is far more precious then any other thing in all the plaines of existence." The Tall Man (as Will had come to think of him as) held the item, now identified as a book, out at full length to him.

Will slowly reached for it, then, as he was only a short distance away, snatched it from the Tall Man's hands.

The Tall Man shuddered, his entire form shaking. Will immediatly wondered if he had done

something horribly wrong, was about to call for help, when the man suddenly stilled. The Tall Man stood up straighter, as though he had just been ridden of a terrible

burden. But he also felt sad; Will knew this because walking alongside someone else's

emotions was one of his many abilities.

This sorrow… was immense, threatening to overwhelm him. Will snapped out of his trance as he felt the Tall Man's presence begin to fade.

He blinked when he heard a strange 'SWOOSH', a tunnel of light opening

behind the Tall Man.

"But what's it for?" Will called over the din, referring to the book.

The Tall Man turned to look at himwith what could have passed for a sad smile.

"It's meant to be passed on, Watcher. Guard it until you find whom it belongs to." Will took a step forward, the

sudden weight of responsibility of this task setting in.

"Wait! How will I know who-"

But he was gone. The tunnel of light had disappeared, along with the tall man.

All that remained was the book.


	2. Chapter One: Odd Moments In Time

4 MONTHS LATER

Will Stanton had come to London to shop for Christmas presents for the 11 other members of his family. Ah, yes.

Christmas.

Will couldn't help but smile at this. Old One or not, he loved Christmas, and he loved being with his family.

But three years from now, him being 15, by law he would have to go at it alone. Eighteen was the time he would come to full power, and it was best that he went abroad, as suggested by Merriman.

To to focus on that which is less dreary, Will turned his attention to the small café that he intended to enter.

After he had ordered his food, from his bag, he pulled out the small, leather-bound book

that he had been carrying with him all this time_. _

_"It is meant to be passed on…" _ The ominous words echoed in his memory.

He shook the words off with a slight shudder. He hadn't told a soul about the night he

had received this… gift. It was near impossible for one Old One to keep a secret from the others.

But he had. He _was_. He once tried to tell the Lady….

**FLASHBACK – 3 MONTHS PREVIOUS**

_Will walked through the tall wood doors and into the Hall. He had gone there many times _

_before, but not like this. Never before… frightened? Was he afraid? That wasn't right. He _

_wasn't supposed to fear. Fear was a weapon of the Dark, and he was a creature of the _

_Light. (Never fear,) he thought to himself. As he shifted the bag that was slung over his _

_shoulder, he quietly walked over to the massive fireplace, feeling comfort in its warmth _

_and brightness. _

_He remembered the day he had first used his powers on this very same fireplace. _

_He also remembered how he had weakened the Lady when he, in his foolishness, had _

_broken the Circle during an attack by the Dark. _

_He quickly brushed off that memory as well. No unpleasant memories. Not for _

_this process. It wasn't allowed. Before all the immortales had left this mortal earth _

_forever, Merriman (his beloved mentor) had told him of a new method of silent speech. _

_This Speech could span across the world, across the very span of time. Using this speech, _

_he could still speak to the Old Ones. He would never truly be alone. Not really, anyways. (Stop _

_that,) he shushed himself. (Good thoughts. Like in that one bedtime tale your mum would _

_tell you… Yes.. Peter Pan… Mum.. Dad.. Stephen, Max, Gwen, Robin, Paul, Barbara, _

_Mary, James, Merriman, the Lady, the Lady, the Lady, theLadytheLadythe-) "LADY!!!" _

_The fire roared, its flames reaching higher and higher, soon reaching out of its place of _

_origin, reaching out towards Will, the flames like giant fingers… reaching._

_ This was wrong._

_Will snapped to attention, coming out of his thoughts. "Aicatha, threyrai _

_meruetheymerai, ara-" FWOOOOMM!!!!!! The flames drowned out his words, the ones _

_the Book of Gramarye had taught him, but he still shouted them at the top of his lungs. And when an _

_Old One wants to be heard, they are heard. The flames fought hard, as though they were _

_not themselves. And they were not. Will could feel the presence of the Dark fueling the _

_fire's strength and anger. "AIATHEA THREAEMEREAYCIA!!," was Will's final yell. _

_In reply, the flames gave another try, another attempt at a grab, to no avail. _

_Trapped by the ancient words, the fire gave a burning, crackling scream._

_If you've never heard fire scream, then I pray to any and all divinity that you never do. It _

_is a horrible, heart-wrenching sound. It is the sound of death, and the coming of ice. If _

_you should ever hear it, it will be the last sound you hear. You will not die. Why would _

_you, it's just a scream. But you will be haunted by that scream for the rest of your days, _

_never hearing anything else. But enough of the tales of shadows._

_As the fire screamed, it curled upwards, then out, starting to swirl on its side like a _

_crazed ferris wheel, blackness spreading from it, snuffing out the flaming torches in the Hall. _

_Without meaning to, Will shouted another word, a word he had never heard before: "ENTHRU-UELEAEN!!" The fires' screams grew even louder, but this time, other voices were accompanying its' scream. Through the swirling flame, a black figure on horseback could be seen, his horse rearing and whinnying in pain, the figure letting loose a shocking shriek. _

_Was this the Rider? Impossible! The Dark had been banished! And yet.._

_"Begone!" Will commanded. " You ARE NOT WELCOME HERE!" Even as he cried in pain, the rider in black's face was one of sick pain, and infathomable triumph._

_"BEGONE!!" Will yelled, still nearly drowned out by the sounds of the fire._

_Nearly falling out of his saddle, the rider shrieked a curse, then, with great difficulty, wrenched his horse's reins around and disappeared from the fires' light, the tendrils of darkness __disappearing with him. _

_"I WILL have the book, Will Stanton, Sign-Seeker, Watcher. I will. Just wait." __The voice echoed in his mind and throughout the Hall, then faded as the light returned, the fire's screams gone abruptly._

_With the horse and rider gone, the fire slowly returned to the fireplace, as though it was reluctant to give up its freedom beyond burning wood._

_"Return, and all will be well," he assured the flames. A sound like a content sigh came from the bright mass, and it eased back into the fireplace, burning wood once more._

_Only after the light from the torches was at full blast did Will rest. Old Ones didn't become tired in the same sense as humans did, but they did sometimes grow_

_weary, as he was now. As he sat on the stone floor, many confused thoughts ran through his mind. _

_What had that word been? He had never heard it before, never learned it._

_What language was it? Will hadn't understood it, he wasn't even sure if it was _

_one word, a phrase, a blessing, a curse… All he knew, was that it was powerful. _

_That one word had turned back the Rider, had him cower in fear, in pain. _

_What?...Wait.. the Lady! He had come here for her council, yes. _

_Quietly, Will got on his feet, holding out one hand towards the fire. He murmured a few words under his breath towards the fire, the fire_

_fading slightly, then softly becoming brighter. After a few moments of rising in intensity, the fire went out entirely. _

_Will waited patiently in the shadows, keeping his mind filled with images of his family, and things that had happened to him that had made him happy…_

_The fire was back. It was different, the light gone from deep crimson and rust to cobalt and lavender. The way it moved had changed entirely, from being like wheat in the wind to a gentle, slow moving ocean, wave after slow wave of heated energy. _

_It was now, he could call on the Lady. Will, his hand still stretched out, fingers pressed together awaited the signal to begin. At the_

_sound of a slight sigh, he spread his fingers out wide. The fire responded accordingly, _

_a thick smoke coming off of the fire and enveloping him. Will could see nothing beyond the smoke, his senses officially cloyed. But he was used to it by now. _

_This was life for him, no matter how bizarre it got._

"_I call upon the Old One who is known in time, known among all and known by none. I call upon the Old One who has been known as Ms. Greythorne, as Jana, and as the Lady. I call her so that we may speak. I call by the power of the Light!"_

_ At that final word, the smoke in the very front of him cleared, revealing a green country with rolling hills and_

_long grass, and far beyond that a great dark forest, and beyond that the tallest mountains that _

_Will had ever seen, and beyond that… A great, blue sky, capping off the mountains with the great golden light of the sun._

_It was breathtaking. _

_A figure was on horseback in the distance. For a moment, Will feared (I DO NOT fear) that it may have been the Rider... _

_But as this rider came closer, he saw that the horse was pure white, and the rider was wearing a long gray dress. The Lady.. _

_Will let out a large breath of relief. He also recognized the horse as the one he had met shortly after he had met the Black Rider for the first time… _

_"Do not think of such shadowed things, Will Stanton." Will looked suddenly, and there she was, looking like she did at the_

_Christmas party in the past. _

_"It is not appropriate for this place." Will nodded in respect to her._

_"Lady, I have-" _

_"Why have you requested my presence as so?" She interrupted. "_

_You know that I am unable to assist you in any way besides to offer knowledge." The Lady awaited his_

_answer, her face a place of peace. Will nodded, this time to show that he agreed. _

"_I have come here for your counsel." He said, finishing his sentence from before with a _

_different answer. He reached into the bag that was slung on his shoulder as he spoke._

"_The matter I have come for your counsel is –" _SHEEEEEEEEEEENN!!! _Will's connection was suddenly distorted, a deep crimson blocking his view. _

_Without his meaning to, his emotion-seeing ability kicked in, and he felt the full feeling of dislike, mistrust,_

_hatred, an unknown wrong that no kind word could ever right. _

_Will gasped as he was jerked out of the torrent of emotion, just almost falling flat on his back from the shock. Will realized his_

_hand was on the book. There was no way that that amount of emotion could have come_

_from this book? Was it like the Book of Gramarye? It was almost as though this book was... ALIVE? _

_"Will? What is it?" The Lady asked him._

_Will's mundane human teenaged side spoke instead of him, the Old One. _

_"I- I just remembered.. I… I have something to do. I have to go!" The Lady started to speak, to ask_

_what had just happened, but Will broke the connection before she could say anything._

_Will basically ran from the Hall, just about like a bat out of Hell, his hand clenched around the small leather-bound book._

_When he was back in his own time, he found himself back in his room, on the floor, face-first._

"_Will! Are you alright?" One of Will's older brothers, James, had poked his head up into _

_Will's attic room, a worried look on his face. Will slowly stood up, nodding briskly._

"_Yes. YES." He said again firmly when James looked unconvinced. _

_"I'm fine. I just… tripped." James had a skeptic look on his face._

_"Really? On __what? There is virtually _nothing _for you to trip on.." James smiled conspiritally…_

"_Unless you tripped over your own feet?" Will just shrugged, happy for the given excuse._

"_I guess I'm just clumsy." Will concluded. James laughed._

_"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. Anyways, I came up here to say that you have a phone call from a Barney Drew? He said that he…."_

**END FLASHBACK**

Barney had called just to say "Hello", and the two spoke for a good 2 hours, talking about everything that had had happened in the past 7 months…

"Hello? Do you still want your food" Will came out of his thoughts to see a young,

perturbed waitress standing over him.

"Oh! Yes, thankyou…" Will hastily took his food.

"Uh, thanks?" The waitress, who looked desperately bored, simply nodded,

and turned on heel. Will gave out a deep sigh, his hand slipping to the book which now

in the large pocket of his fleece coat. The book was giving off the feeling of amused

smugness, like it thought that Will making a fool of himself in front of a girl was

humorous. Will simply scowled at the book, like it was a sentient being who had annoyed him.

Will suddenly jumped in his seat.

Someone was watching him. All of time froze as Will stood up in his seat and looked

around the café. There, in the far corner, was a girl. She was small, couldn't have been

more than 5'' 4, had long brown hair, light brown (almost gold) eyes, and she looked about his age,

Yes, he could see all that from 15 feet away. Will walked up to her. She was currently

frozen in an "I'm looking away" expression.

When he was near enough, Will went in close to her face, (as he had to when time was frozen, him being young) so he could sense whether or not she was for the Dark.

There was… nothing. This puzzled Will. Surely, she obviously a part of the _real_ world, would HAVE to have _some_ sort of signature, even if it wasn't for the Light or Dark...

Will drew back in surprise. He could have sworn he felt a breath against his face.

He had! The girl was looking directly at him! He looked around the rest of the café, but everyone else was still frozen in time.

Will looked back to the girl, who was now standing.

"Who-" The girl just giggled and winked at him. She held a finger up to her lips like she had just told him a secret.

Then she was gone. No trace of her. What was more, time had started moving again.

The book gave off a pleasured feeling...

**A/N: Yeah, I know. Mainly the flashback….**

**Reviews make the world go 'round!!!!**


	3. Chapter Two: Insanity Comes Swiftly

Will was officially miffed. Never before had he had an encounter like that.

God, this year was going oh so odd.

Will shook his head, ridding himself of, well… himself. This was no time to be thinking like an ordinary human. This called for the real him.

After the strange unsensable girl had disappeared, everyone in the café had been looking at him in a weird way. It was probably because one moment he had been in his seatand the next on the other side of the room. Like a superhero, they had most likely thought. He had to erase the memory of everyone there, all thoughts that he had ever been in there, gone from their minds. But Will was still ashamed with himself. How could he have let time start again without him noticing it? It was pure, through and through madness.

Shortly after that incident, Will found himself walking the darkening streets of London, away from the bus stop.

He wasn't ready to go home. Not quite yet. He also felt that he couldn't go through the Doors either. He hadn't the heart to be in the place of the Old Ones, not when he had been deceiving them for the amount of time that he had.

It was wrong.. but he was stuck. Throughout the months after the happenings in the Hall. whenever he had convinced himself that he would tell the others, that damned book stopped him in his tracks, showing images of death and despair for him, his family, and the rest of the world. A world covered in pure darkness, and not by the hand of the Lords of Dark, no. It was done by something far worse. But Will didn't know what.

Will had come to hate the book, and was thoroughly convinced that it was evil. He hadn't been in the Hall for 3 months (even if it _was_ mainly his fault).

But then there was something… Had he missed something in that cafe? Something important, maybe…

No, there was nothing. He had looked over everything from that singular moment in time. Here's how it was:

He had felt the presence of the Dark, so he stopped time. Then time started again without his meaning to, and that wasn't supposed to happen. Not never ever. Why had the Dark been there? And why had he _stopped_ time? He could have simply _traveled _through time to have a scuffle away from people.

"Uggh!" Will stopped in the middle of an empty street. He STILL wasn't thinking properly.

He couldn't remember… something. What had he been thinking about?

"Oh! Yes, my battle with an agent of he Dark." Will slapped a hand over his mouth, shocked that he had said that out loud. What was happening?

Will shook his head again and took a deep breath. (Focus. I am Will Stanton,) he thought.

(I am the 7th son of a 7th son. I am an Old One. I am the youngest Old One. I am the last to be born. I am protector of the Great Six Signs of the Light. I am the last old one in the mortal world, I am alo-)

He caught himself mid-thought.

Why was he thinking this way?At the risk of sounding ridiculously mundane, he wondered what exactly was happening to him. What had the Rider (Yes, that's who it was. He wanted the book.) done to him?

'CLANG!' Will spun around, sensing for anyone else near him. There WAS someone! Wait.. no there wasn't.

"Mreow!" A cat padded out of an alley nearby, causing Will to breath a sigh of relief. It was nothing short of a 'Well, DUH' moment.

The cat was small, and very clean. The reason he noticed this was that strays aren't exactly known for being clean. The cat gave him what could have passed for an amused look, sitting down a few feet from him. It was almost like the cat was saying, "I'm just a cat, and you can't prove otherwise. So there." Will gave the ever-silent cat a good glare. The cat responded (if cats can respond to such looks) with a stare of it's own.

Will just shrugged at the animal, which he had just noticed in the lamplight, that this cat had odd bronze colored fur and crimson eyes. _RED_ eyes!

He took a step towards the cat intending to keep it in its place with a spell, when it suddenly took off at an astonishing speed.

"HEY!" Will ran after it, calling a spell, but still the cat ran. Will ran after it through the streets, it seeming like the cat would never tire, when it turned into a small back alley. Most likely a dead end.

He ran after the cat into the alley, intending to catch it. But the cat wasn't there. The alley ended with a tall wooden fence, and the way that Will had come in had been the only way in OR out, except the doors on the buildings, but they looked like they hadn't been opened in years...

All that was there was the homeless, huddled around a fire. Cautiously, he approached them.

"Excuse me?" The four – no, five – turned to look at him.

"What?" the oldest asked harshly.

Will took at slight step back at the man's tone. "Did you see a cat come this way?" he asked, slightly nervous.

The five looked at each other, another saying, "Nope. Sorry kid. Haven't seen a cat in weeks."

The group nodded.

"That's animal control for you," said a man with odd black scars. "Finally taking in the strays." The others nodded again, this time a bag lady speaking up.

"And stealing our Christmas dinner, too!" Once again, a group nod.

Will felt slightly sick at that... They obviously didn't know and well it **was** just a cat... Best to end this awkward conversation now.

"Well… thanks anyway!"With that said, Will walked hastily away from that ally, the odd homeless people, and, more importantly, the being behind the crimson eyes.

**LATER: ANOTHER POV**

"THAT, was _disgusting,_" said the man emerging from the shadows. He looked about 20, with a full head of bronze hair with gold streaks, but his eyes held far more age than his skin did..

"Christmas DINNER? Seriously?" The man turned in a full circle meeting everyone's eye.

"Come on!" he said again, this time with more of a whine. The homeless group no longer looked homeless, but of the upper-class, fine threads and all. The elderly bag lady (now a beautiful young woman) blushed.

"Sorry," she said, not quite meeting his hell-fire gaze. "it was the first thing that came to my head."

The red-eyed man just scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Now, Cameron." Chided the elder one of the group, now seeming a bit younger and stronger than he had. "You know she meant nothing by it."

"Yeah, Cameron." The man with scars called. "It's no to get mad. That'd be very bad, you know." Another group nod (this seemed to be very popular with the group).

Cameron (now called) just scowled at them, a certain rage in those eyes.

"Cameron." The elder looked at him expectantly. Cameron just shrugged, saying

"I'll do it once I get home." The group all shook their heads.

"You know we can't let you go in until you do." Cameron shook his head, a slightly sadistic laugh coming from him.

"Nuh-uh. Who said I was going in anyways? I can get home on my own, without Lorne's help." Even as Cameron spoke, the look of hate in his eyes was changing to a wild look, like an animal getting ready to hunt. The elder obviously noticed this.

"Calm down, Cameron. We can't have you lose control here. There are too many people here. Too many for you to hurt." Cameron rolled his eyes again, this time turning away, but the elder grabbed his arm. Cameron first looked at the mans' arm then the man's face, his anger becoming obvious.

"_Now_, Cameron." The others of the group all seemed to be at the ready for an attack.

Cameron suddenly relaxed, a look of peace on his face.

"Will you take your medicine now?"

Slowly, Cameron nodded, reaching into one of the pockets of his leather jacket. In a flash, Cameron whipped out his switch-blade and spun about with a feral look on his face.

Outside of the ally, if anyone had been there to hear it, multiple screams of terror and pain could be heard.

**END OTHER**

Will had made it back to the bus stop alright, and was now one of the three people that was on the actual bus.

To explain, Will's town was a ways out, and not that many people came and went from it.

Right now, Will was on the verge of falling asleep, when he realized that someone was next to him.

(WHOA!) He hadn't seen the girl before…

Will said so to her. The girl just smiled and nodded, flipping her light chesnut hair behind her shoulder.

"Yes, well, you WERE asleep.." She said in a teasing voice. Her voice was that of an American's. Will shook his head, his senses feeling cloyed and allayed. The girl was studying his face intently, causing Will to stumble in his speech.

"I-f I was asleep… then why did you come sit next to me?" he asked. The girl just shrugged.

"I dunno. Maybe 'cuz the other people are kinda creepy..?" she gestured to the two others, one an old woman, the other a man in his thirtys.

(You didn't want to sit by yourself) Will concluded in his thoughts.

Will felt a warmth in his fleece jacket pocket. He reached in and pulled out the book, and when he did it became even hotter, making his hands slightly uncomfortable. The girl leaned to see it.

"That your diary, or something?" she asked.

"What? No!" Will shook off the shakiness in his voice. The girl just shrugged.

"Okay! No need to be so touchy about it…" she looked out the window on the opposite side, her green eyes glinting in the poor light… she was rather pretty, and she looked Will's age… No, stop thinking about that! Merriman had shunned such thoughts for human: one must feel compassion for the lesser race, but it would be disaster to love one…

"Well… Are you going to meet someone?" He asked, trying to start a conversation.

The girl snapped her head back to look at him, a grin on her face.

"Yeah, my Uncle. He's going to meet me a the next stop." Will nodded in understanding.

"Um.." He tried to think of something else to say. "What's your name?" He asked awkwardly. The girls' eyes widened in surprise.

"Sorry! My name's Lexi. Lexi Rainsong, if you want to be proper." she smiled in satisfaction.

"What's that short for?" Will wondered if maybe that was too personal a question...

"What, Lexi?" She scoffed. "Nothing. It's just L-E-X-I. Lexi." She looked away for a moment, then looked back.

"What's YOUR name?" She asked back. Will smiled.

"The name's Stanton. Will Stanton." Lexi held out her hand, which Will took, and did the full handshake.

"Then it's a pleasure to make your aquaintance, Mr. Stanton. I take it that you intend to save the world from a great evil in some shape or form?" she asked in a teasing way.

Will laughed. "You have no idea…" Lexi tilted her head in a question, but the bus stopped, the driver's voice calling back saying what stop they were at.

"That's my stop!" Lexi smiled at Will. "Goodbye, Will Stanton." After that she pulled up a black bag that had been set in the aisle, and stood up. Will nodded, feeling slightly saddened that she was leaving, and waved a bit as she stepped off the bus. Will watched her from the window as she walked out to the stop. There was a man wearing a brown leather duster walking out of a strange blue box with a smile on his face, holding his arms out for a hug. Lexi complied, wrapping one arm around him, holding her bag with the other. The bus started to pull away before Will cold see anymore.

Will pulled back pulled back from the window, settling into his seat once more. Pity. He would mst likely miss the girl... And you know what? This time the feeling felt perfectly natural.

**A/N: Yes, yes, yes…. I introduced many people and said farewell to them at the precise same time… But Cameron and Lexi will have their 15 minutes… Just wait…**

**Will's going a little CRAZY isn't he? AND I changed Lexi's hair & eye color!!!!**

**Reviews make the universe go!**


	4. Chapter Three: A Midnight Happening

**A/N: Sidebar story. Not really relevant. I have the writer's block!!!**

Will couldn't sleep. There was something wrong.. Will felt that something was missing, and he didn't know what. It had been something terribly important, but now it was simply gone. Did it happen earlier today? He looked at his watch. (Yesterday, technically.)

Yesterday: He went shopping, went into a café, and while he was there he fought the Dark, chased a cat afterwards, and met a girl named Lexi on the bus ride home…

What was missing from that? _Nothing… _

Will shook his head, breathing a long sigh. He missed Merriman. He missed the Lady. He missed the Old Ones in their entirety.

He felt… alone.

THUNK!

Will broke from his thoughts and sat up in bed. What was that?

"VROAR, VROAR, VROAR Vro- KTHUM."

Now sure that there was most definetly something out there, Will leapt out of his bed grabbing his robe as he fled his room, running through his house towards the sound.

Will ended up in his front yard, looking out into the street.

There was nothing there. Wait – to his left, on the sidewalk, there were two people walking – no _– running _right at him.

Rather fast and – **BAM!**

When Will came to, two figures were standing above him. For a moment he thought they might be angels, but he then he realized that their backs were illuminated by the street light.

"Why did you have to run into him?" a familiar voice was accusing.

"Well, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit him." The taller one leaned down further.

"'Ello, now. Your awake!" Will sat up quickly, nearly smacking the man in the face, which the man avoided by jerking back.

"Whoa, don't want a concusion and lose some gray cells." The man looked at the girl. "It isn't much fun," he said to her, his face crinkled to a look of dislike. Will shook his head, his senses feeling snuffed again… Like on the bus..

"Lexi." Will said, suddenly recognizing the girl. The Lexi looked at him.

"Will Stanton?" He nodded and took her hand as she offered it, pulling himself up.

"What are you doing here?" Lexi asked him, a slight confused smile on her face.

"I… _live_ here," he said, gesturing to his house. The tall thin man nodded.

"Ah, I see." Since he was now standing up and his head was a bit clearer, Will could see that the man had brown hair that was in a slight spiked style, and he wore a suit with a brown leather duster...

"You're... Lexi's uncle?" Will placed the face... or jacket. The man shot a look Lexi's way, but she just smiled innocently. The man slowly turned back to him.

"Right, yes, I am," he confirmed. Will nodded and was about to ask his name, but noticed that there, in the middle of the street, was the strange blue box from the bus stop.

"What is that?" Will pointed to the box. Lexi and her uncle both looked at it and began to talk at once.

"Well, you know it's," Lexi's uncle stuttered.

"What are you doing out here anyways?" Lexi asked, changing the subject. Will shrugged.

"I heard a noise. I wanted to know what it was."

Lexi's uncle nodded, running his hand through his hair nervously.

"Blimey, someone always hears. Always!" Lexi set a hand on her uncle's shoulder sympathetically, nodding in agreement.

After a few moments of silence, Lexi spoke.

"Okay, awkward. What the frife happens next?" Her uncle looked at her disapprovingly.

"Lexi! Language." Lexi rolled her eyes.

"What, Doc? It's not my fault she translates it to that." Her uncle turned full around to look down at her.

"Yes, but it's still not good that you imply the word to be translated that way!"

Lexi crossed her arms over her chest (which Will now noticed she was wearing a denim jacket and a dark t-shirt with some band logo on it..)

"Well, listen to you! Acting all self-righteous, like you're some kind of freakin' MINISTER from HOME!" Lexi's uncle opened his mouth to reply, but Lexi continued.

"Which, I should mention is GONE." Lexi's uncle recoiled for a moment then took a step forward, it seeming he was taking up all the light.

"I would much prefer if you had some respect..." the man murmured. Lexi just rolled her eyes.

Right now, Will was at a loss for words. One: he had been run into. Two: he awoke to find the girl from the bus and a strange man (her uncle...). Three: they spoke like they were from... a different planet.

Madness, these days. He didn't understand anything, it seemed.

The two had continued arguing while he had been thinking, and it had escalated to how respect for dead things was proper and how cursing wasn't.

Yeah, Will couldn't take it anymore.

"HEY!" Will shouted at the top of his voice. The arguing relatives stopped their quarrel to look at him.

"You two, just STOP IT. I've a headache already, and I don't need this _noise_!" The two just stared at him for a moment, then back at one another, then to Will again.

"You're absolutely right, Will Stanton!" Lexi's uncle chirped.

"Truce?" he asked, holding out a hand to his niece. Lexi paused, then smiled.

"Truce." She agreed, taking his hand, and giving him a quick hug.

"Sorry," she whispered. The man coughed slightly, the cough sounding almost like a "It's alright,", then turned back to Will.

"Well, then, Will Stanton. It was a pleasure meeting you, but, you know, when you gotta save the world, you gotta save the world." The man had said it with a teasing tone, but his expression was serious, as was Lexi's.

After that serious moment Lexi and her uncle turned around at the same time and started walking the way they had come.

"Wait!" Will caught up to them.

"I know your name," he pointed to Lexi. "But I don't know yours." He looked at Lexi's uncle.

"Right." Her uncle gave a big grin, and, holding his hand out, said,

"I'm the Doctor... John Hale." Lexi stifled a laugh, which Mr. Hale just glared at.

"Now, I'm really sorry to cut thing short, but we really do have to go." The man smiled once more in a friendly way. Lexi copied the smile, hers just as genuine.

"Goodbye, Will Stanton." Lexi said to Will for the second time. The name that this John Hale had given Will had to be fake...

Will was about to say so to him, but the two turned around and disappeared. No, time hadn't stopped. It was more like the duo had moved faster than his eyes could follow, which was impossible...

Will shook his head, his senses becoming clear again. No... still gone. Will shook his head again.

(Madness,) he thought. (Pure madness.)


	5. InBetwixt

**A/N: I dunna canna like the WRITER'S BLOCK!!!**

As Will walked down the snowy Old Way, the cold cut through his usually warm jacket.

This was of the Dark. But Will couldn't see anyone else on the street. Not a soul.

Except… There, leaning up against the wall, was a girl.

Will wasn't sure if he'd ever seen her before, but somehow she gave off a familiar ominous feeling.

He walked up to her, the snow crunching beneath his boots.

Her gold eyes meeting his, the girl flashed him a grin, then said: "Hey there, Will."

Will tilted his head, wondering if he should remember her...

"Do I… know you?" he asked, feeling slightly foolish. The girl just laughed and gave a wink.

"Oh, I've heard a few things… Mainly from your brother, Robin..."

The girl laughed again, shaking her head at Will's expression.

"Don't worry. Nothing TOO embarrassing… Just your basics, of course. Who you are, minor habits…" She fiddled with her single braid, a spider ring glinting on her left pinky.

Will felt a familiar warmth in his fleece pocket, and set his hand on the book.

The girl gave him a strange look, but replaced it with a smile.

"Well… Odd weather we're having, isn't it?" Will said cheerfully, trying to keep the awkwardness out of this dream…

The girl just shrugged.

"I suppose, if you like riding in the dark."

Will's head snapped up at that last word, and saw that the Way was now shadowed, making it even colder, the rooks screaming madly overhead.

Will looked back to the girl, but now she was walking away.

"Wait!" Will caught up to her, grabbing her arm.

The girl looked at his hand with a raised eyebrow, then at his face. For some reason, that look made him let go, but she grabbed his hand and pulled him close, and hissed:

"_There is something wrong with this world,__ Will Stanton. You'd do well to keep watch, and gather protection"_

**END DREAM SEQUENCE**

Will woke in a cold sweat.

He looked up out his bedroom window. There wasn't a single coud in the night sky.

It had been ages since he had been contacted in a dream and that was only the second time, but the feeling never changed. He was in danger. The _world_ was in danger.

He needed the Six Signs of the Light.


	6. Chapter Four: My Enemy's Friend?

**A/N: I am currently grappling with writer's block. If the chapters aren't up to spec, my apologies. UPDATE: BAM! Edit. UPDATE: BAMO! ANOTHER edit!**

**THE MORNING AFTER**

Will was at a lost these days, and he didn't know why.

Everything had stopped making sense. First the book, then the strange rider, then the Dark, and now Lexi Rainsong.

It was almost as if there was a world beneath a world. (No, that's just stupid. That's sounds like something out of one of those weird sci-fi/fantasy stories that you read on the internet.)

What was wrong with this picture?

Will sat back a bit in his chair, turning over the facts in his mind...

"Will?" Will snapped out of his thoughts to see everyone in his family looking down the breakfast table at him.

"... Uhh.. Yes?" he ventured nervously. Will's twenty-year-old sister Barbara scoffed.

"Where were you just now?" Max asked, sounding midly amused. Will slowly shook his head and shrugged.

"Nowhere. Nowhere at all..." His mum and dad exchanged knowing looks while the rest of his siblings either snickered, exchanged their own looks, or went back to their breakfast.

Will shifted uncomfortably in his seat, feeling that when he had been interrupted during something important, and had now forgotten it.

**(Nah.)**

Will was currently walking to what used to be Dawson's Farm. The reason it wasn't anymore was the fact that Mr. Dawson (who had also been an Old One) had left with everyone else. Now it was empty, and had yet to find another owner.

What had happened to the rest of the Dawsons, was that after two years, a still somewhat grief striken Mrs. Dawson (now more Widow Dawson for the villagers)  
could no longer bear to be in the empty house and farm. John Smith, his wife Martha, Old George, her own husband...were gone. Departed. Never to return.  
And so Widow Dawson and her son fled the silence, the memories and the well meaning villagers..

Besides being an empty building, the house had another purpose: it was the hiding place of the Six Signs of the Light.

True, it was a lesser place to hide something of such importance, but it was an Old One's house. It had many good hiding places.

As Will walked up the street, the wind began to kick up. It was a familiar feeling… A sound caused him to look up. There, in a tree, were hundreds of rooks, all of them looking at him and cawing. Will held up an hand in greeting. The rooks suddenly fell silent, and one single rook hopped down from branch to branch, and onto a fence post. It stared at Will for a while, then gave out one single shriek.

Will decided to ignore, thinking the rook was just staring to annoy him. The rook just gave Will a long look, and flew away, the rest of the rooks following him, all of them shrieking with him, circling above for a few moments then scattering. Will watched as they did so, feeling a sense of foreboding.

His feeling was right. There, out of the shadows that were gathering, was a black horse.

JUST the black horse? Where was its rider? The horse had all of its tack on, but it was wounded as well. Slowly, he walked up to the black horse, watching for its master.

Before he knew it, Will was within reaching distance of the Dark horse. Slowly, but surely, Will reached out to the horse. When he finally made contact with the horse's skin, the horse shuddered, its eyes rolling back till he could see the whites. Wait... this horse didn't look quite right...

There, on the left side of its long neck, was a white mark. This COULDN'T be the Black Rider's horse. It was now that Will also noticed how odd the tack was as well. Instead of simply being black, the saddle and bridle were adorned with silver. It was almost as though someone was trying to fake being the Black Rider, but didn't quite know what he looked like.

"Shh. It's okay." Will murmured to the horse, gently stroking its sweaty flank.

Will just wasn't getting it.

"Come on," he murmured again to the horse, taking hold of its reins and leading it to Dawson's Farm.

(The Signs may be able to help the animal,) Will thought.

Will had originally planned to tether the horse to a nearby pole, but thought twice of it when it began to snow, so he led the into the farmhouse with him, tying its reins there.

The floorboards creaked as Will walked further into the house, like the house was greeting him as an Old One.

Perhaps it was.

The main reason that Will had departed (unwillingly) from the Signs in the first place was before Merriman and the others left, the Signs had faded.

Not permenantly, thank goodness.

Instead, they had been taken here, a place of solitude.

Well... at least the basement was.

As Will walked through the aged house, it seeming that the house would fall down around him. The only thing keeping it intact was the fact that Will was still a part of the linear world. To be clear on the matter, the house was centuries old already, and Mr. Dawson's presence was keeping it intact, as were the other Old Ones. But, as memory serves, they were gone now. Amazingly, Huntercombe Manor was still standing. That was up for sale as well. No buyers, of course. It was far too expensive for just about everyone that had come around. The price had even amazed rich couple from New York City.

Will rummaged around in the shadows for a bit, until his hands grasped an old throw rug, which he yanked back, feeling around once more. His hand came across a metal ring in the floor, which he grabbed and pulled up. The door opened with a loud creak, an automatic light activating.

The way into the panic room (yes, Will was surprised when he found out, too) was down three flights of stairs, most likely created by way of magic. It was a famous way of building with Old Ones, that and building with your bare hands.

As soon as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he turned to a long corridor, which then lead to a large door. Oh, it wasn't even a third of the size of THE Doors, but it was still large.

The way to get into the room which was located on the other side of the door, was to give a certain code that would open it. Yes, it was **THAT** simple.

Will paused for a moment, making sure that he had the movements right, then proceeded to place his hand the steel door. The metal hummed and began to glow as he rested his hand there, slowly spreading his fingers. "Creefine sluro greefraray." Were the words that were needed, and were said. With a shudder, the door gave a tremendous hiss, and slowly began to open.

To near full explain the room's appearance, it was a large, rectangular room, encased with six-inch thick iron-and-bronze on the outside (if you could see it) and plated with oak and rowan wood on the inside. There was a space between the metal and the wood, and that hollow space was filled to the brim with holly, and the floor made of stone, thus deeming the room impervious to the Dark. The wood and fire part came solely from the torches on the walls and the small fountain, which came from the underground springs.

It was a rather impressive room… if not a bit superfluous. Especially with the beautiful tapestries and carvings and such.

Will did a half smile at the thought, knowing that it may seem that way, but it was truly necessary.

He walked over to the far wall, which was hollowed and plated with glass, a showcase of sorts.

The perfect place for the Signs.

Will gave out a long sigh as he pulled the key out of his jeans pocket, nervously running his hand through his hair. It had been a while… Shoving his fears aside, he shoved the key into the lock, turned it, and opened the glass door. As he reached in, he could feel the warmth radiating from the six signs, picked them up, strung the chain through his belt loops , and fastened the clasp.

Will couldn't help but do a full shiver as a tingling feeling ran through his entire self. Naturally, the golden chain melted into his belt, only showing as a dull shine in the leather, each Sign set on the belt like an extra buckle… like in the beginning.

A loud whinny reminded Will of his commitment.

"Alright! I'm coming!" He yelled out the open door, and the black horse neighed in reply. Will just laughed at that.

With one final look around, mainly at the tapestries of King Arthur, closed the glass case, and left the room, sealing the door behind him.

As he walked up the stairs, a thought came to Will:

How on Earth was he going to explain the horse to his family?

Will pondered this as he shut the trap door behind him. As he entered the room where he had left the horse, he stopped. The horse was gone.

**A/N: *Don't know if that's right….. if anyone here has the proper names for locations and objects for this, it would be MAJOR help if you posted!!! You know… Will seems a lot happier…**

**Special thanks to Shadow-Nightfall. If not for your help, this story would be beyond weird.**


	7. Author's Update

**HELLO! This is a note to simply state that as of Thursday the 10th of December, 2009, the entire storyline has been shifted ever so slightly!**

**So the people who read the story before the changes ought to go back and re-read it!**

**The next chappie will be up in a day or two.**

**~ RoaringFall**


	8. Chapter Five: Calm Before The Storm

A/N: You would not BELIEVE how many versions of this chappie I went through.. RAH! Writer's block, darn you to HECK.

**You know (this is directed to anyone who may be reading this), I had an outline, but I lost it when I began improvising in chapter one! This chapter ended up short…. And the reason I set up the whole possibly OOC Snow ball fight, is cuz it's FUN! **

Will had searched the entire inside and outside of the house, but any and all sign of the horse was gone, any tracks it may have left covered by the falling snow. Becoming somewhat tired in his search Will thought it best to return home. He had the Signs, and that counted for something.

As Will came into view of his house, three of his brothers, James, Paul, and Robin, were all outside just finishing shoveling snow.

James waved at Will, then, scooping up snow, threw a snowball at Will.

It hit Will full in the face.

"OOF!" Will staggered and fell on his backside. Paul and Robin both burst out laughing, Robin doubled-over, Paul grinning widely.

"Oh, yeah?" Will challenged gleefully. It was pleasing to see James's expression change from amusement to horrified realization as the snowball connected with the side of his face.

Ah, brotherly love, the thing that earns you a chunk of snow in the kisser.

As James fell, Robin tackled Will from behind, taking him _down_.

"HEY!" is what he shouted as his face was pressed into the snow, but it came out as:

"H-srcuphlUGH!" That last bit came from James (apparently recovered from his blow to the face) shoving snow down the back of his shirt.

As Will flailed somewhat helplessly in the snow, he took this moment in time to reflect how childish his 22-year-old twin brothers were. This being thought, Paul joined in with his twin, helping to press Will's face farther into the snow.

"HELP!" came out as "HLGLPH!", and the three laughed.

"Do you give?" James taunted.

"YPH!" At that, the three let go, Will scrambling to his feet. He looked at his brothers ruefully.

Robin and Paul held up their hands in an "I'm innocent!" way, but James just laughed.

"Easy, now." He said. "You don't want to -" Will bent over and charged James, hitting him full-on.

But before he could do a thing, the call came:

"Oi! You four! Stop messing about! It's supper time!" The whole group looked to the direction of the house, and, seeing that is was Mary, got up, brushed themselves off, and trudged towards the house shoving each other playfully as they went.

* * *

After dinner (which had been rather uneventful, compared to the snowball fight), thus the majority of the family retired to their rooms. Most of them, not all, Will, Gwen, and James.

"What do you think mum and dad got us this year?" James murmured sleepily on the couch.

Gwen and Will looked over at him with incredulous looks.

"You're seriously worried about that?" Will asked, amused.

"Yes, James, worried about what Mum got you? You should be more worried about what _Will_ got us!"

"Hey!" Will exclaimed, sitting up in his seat. James looked Will's direction.

"Well, you _were_ gone a long while shopping for presents," he said smartly.

Will just shook his head, then turned to Gwen. "What about _you_, Gwennie?"

Gwen shook her head, laughing.

"Oh no, you're not finding out 'till Christmas and not a moment sooner!"

Her two brothers smiled wearily and nodded.

"By the way, James..." Gwen started with a grin. "How's Winter Tepps feeling?" .

"WHO?" Will asked, suddenly wide awake.

"No one!" James snapped. Gwen smile got wide.

"Special, is she?" she asked in a teasing voice.

James just stood up, gave her a scathing look, and went to his room.

Gwen and Will exchanged looks, then Gwen stood. "...'Night, Will."

"'Night."

Gwen nodded, then left, leaving Will to his ever-fading thoughts.

**FLASHBACK: What Will Didn't See At the House**

A while after Will had disappeared, the faux Black Rider's horse found that it was no longer alone in the dusty old room. It whickered nervously as a breath of wind slowly blew open the front door. The black horse shuffled it's hooves, the whites of it's eyes showing as a young girl with a single braid and golden eyes stepped in.

"Shh… It's alright Cryfrue," she crooned as she stood next to the animal. She sighed as she began to stroke the horse's graceful neck. "So many things… these things are meant for further times...." She waggled her eyebrows a bit at her own sincerity. "Or forgotten times..." She looked around in mock fear then whispered into the horse's ear, "I think I may be in trouble... _Bad_ trouble.. _I may be punished severely..._" The girl suddenly gripped the horse's mane tightly for a moment, fist shaking and face contorted to a look that could have passed sorrow.

The horse whuffed into her hair, maybe trying to comfort her, or maybe just afraid that what made the girl said would somehow harm itself.

"Perhaps…" she murmured, her face smoothing out. "Perhaps I should leave things to their own devices…"

She looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled. "Nah…" She looked at the horse, her smile getting wider.

"Come! I'll take you back home." With that said, a tunnel of light suddenly opened in the middle of the room to which she walked into. Frightened, the horse let out a loud whinny.

"It's okay!" The girl called back with a laugh. Somewhere in the basement, Will yelled something unintelligible. The girl simply fiddled with her silver spider ring as she waited for the horse.

"All right.." She sighed. "If you really don't want to come…" Inside the light tunnel, she could be seen walking away from the horse. The horse let out an even louder neigh and cantered after her.

A few moments before Will entered the room, the tunnel of light closed, the girl and the faux Rider's horse gone with it.

**A/N: Christmas challenge: write a serious/sad chapter or short story while listening to 'Christmas Cash' by fRed! Why? 'Cuz I did! CASH! !!!!!!**


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